Like the topic says, does anybody have any info on if the iPhone 3g's monthly fee is going to be reduced in the USA anytime soon?
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iPhone 3g, will monthly fee price ever be reduced?
- Thread starter Jimmyneedles
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I highly doubt it. The revenue from minute plans is slowly dwindling so phone companies are seeking data and text messaging to make up the loss.
The $30 plan is in line with every other data package AT&T offers so unless those change (again doubtful) the apple one will not change.
I think when competing products come out then the monthly fees will gradually decline. Android and a new version of windows mobile will likely help.
However, the price that AT&T charges is not really more expensive than competing providers at this point. Now, if I could actually *use* that 3G service on the iphone. . . cough, cough.
You might be able to get a discount through your company or organization. They are called FAN discounts.
However, the price that AT&T charges is not really more expensive than competing providers at this point. Now, if I could actually *use* that 3G service on the iphone. . . cough, cough.
You might be able to get a discount through your company or organization. They are called FAN discounts.
68 bucks a month for me isn't too bad. (FAN discount and feature codes ftw)
It's better than the 80 a month i used to pay for the iphone EDGE plan
It's better than the 80 a month i used to pay for the iphone EDGE plan
How? They will be charged the exact same data rates as the iphone.
Competition from T-Mobile and Sprint maybe but AT&T doesn't really perceive them as threats.
Yes, it will be reduced as soon as a democrat lowers taxes.
democrats lower taxes? are you SURE?
Here's how to make it feel like less.
1. Go to another country who has it WAY worse than you do
2. Realize how good you got it
3. Enjoy your new "low" price
1. Go to another country who has it WAY worse than you do
2. Realize how good you got it
3. Enjoy your new "low" price
For starters, if an Android or a new windows mobile phone comes out that can actually operate on a 3G network as promised I can tell you it will outsell the iphone 10-1 at this point--at least in NYC.
At a certain point the hardware will become comparable. The only way to compete after that is to start lowering the price of the plan.
I seriously doubt the "any time soon" part, and I think that it's unlikely that it will ever be reduced.
AT&T takes a huge loss when they sell you an iPhone, which they aim to make up for with that expensive service plan, and as other people mentioned, service plans for 3G phones are expensive. The only reason AT&T would lower the price on the plans is if demand suddenly dropped, but the fact that there is still a waiting list to get an iPhone 3G in a lot of places suggests that that won't happen.
Maybe in 3-5 years as 3G smartphones become more common, the iPhone is offered to other carriers, and AT&T and other carriers have larger and more competitive 3G networks, costs will start to fall, but any decrease in cost from this increased supply will most likely be offset by inflation over the ensuing time, so the dollar cost of an iPhone plan is unlikely to go down (although the real cost will go down. In fact of course, strictly speaking the real cost goes down every day).
AT&T takes a huge loss when they sell you an iPhone, which they aim to make up for with that expensive service plan, and as other people mentioned, service plans for 3G phones are expensive. The only reason AT&T would lower the price on the plans is if demand suddenly dropped, but the fact that there is still a waiting list to get an iPhone 3G in a lot of places suggests that that won't happen.
Maybe in 3-5 years as 3G smartphones become more common, the iPhone is offered to other carriers, and AT&T and other carriers have larger and more competitive 3G networks, costs will start to fall, but any decrease in cost from this increased supply will most likely be offset by inflation over the ensuing time, so the dollar cost of an iPhone plan is unlikely to go down (although the real cost will go down. In fact of course, strictly speaking the real cost goes down every day).
I remember when broadband first came out and everyone promised how, in a couple years, the price would drop dramatically.
From where *I'm* sitting ... the price has only gone up. And in fact, NEW limitations have since been imposed. I fear the same is going to happen with hi-speed wireless (unless there's a big shake up from someone like google).
I was being sarcastic. Everyone knows that no democrat would ever lower taxes just as any freshman from a junior college business class can tell you that the 3G price will never come down in price. Unless you factor in inflation...
Only if the iPhone sells well below expectations, which doesn't appear to be the case in the US. As long as the demand is greater than the supply even with the current prices, AT&T has no incentive to dump the price...
But there are other countries where carriers who are iPhone virgins greatly overestimated the appeal of the iPhone, like here in Sweden where we're accustomed to being spoiled with much lower rates (especially for 3G since it's old hat) than in the US. So when the iPhone carrier, Telia, announced their prices, there was a major uproar -- somehow they made the mistake of thinking they could get away with "American" prices and a limited data plan to boot... well they were forced to adjust those prices and terms pretty quickly. The iPhone just wasn't THAT hot.
As an existing Telia customer I took their special offer which allowed me to keep the old plan for my previous 3G phone (about 10 USD a month) and add an unlimited data plan on top of that for 30 USD / month. So I'll be paying around $40/month... but keep in mind that this includes the draconian Swedish sales tax (25%) plus the USD is near an all-time low against the SEK which makes my monthly fee look more expensive than it is... with the 25%sales tax deducted and a 'normal' USD rate (i.e. 1 USD = 10 SEK, not 6 SEK as it is today), it would translate to something like $22/month. That's, what, one third of what you guys are paying?
I'm talking about plans not hardware / devices. A 3G android will be charged $30 just like every other 3G device on AT&T. I don't see this changing anytime soon. AT&T couldn't care less if your on a iphone, a blackberry, or a android as long as your giving them fees for data.
If they lower the price they would just be competing with themselves which would be stupid. All other providers (again sans sprint and t-mobile) will be charging similar rates for the android.
It would be nice for AT&T to tier their service. I kinda get $30 for unlimited 3G service IF you use 3G and IF it works. But if you didn't have access to 3G, it would suck majorly. AT&T should really fix that somehow because it really screws over a lot of customers (I know, the cell phone guys are great at that). They should offer limited data plans starting at $10 for people who just want to use it for e-mail and the occasional data, not using a VPN with their home computer and hacking a way to play World of Warcraft on a phone.
Since my last restore of my phone about 3 weeks ago, I have used less than 30MB on the cell network. That's costing me $20/month. I would love to have a $10 plan that has a limit of some sort, especially if I ever get a 3G phone (well, when).
Since my last restore of my phone about 3 weeks ago, I have used less than 30MB on the cell network. That's costing me $20/month. I would love to have a $10 plan that has a limit of some sort, especially if I ever get a 3G phone (well, when).
I think they will reduce the price, about the same time as they cut the ridiculous Text messaging pricing...
Yes, it will be reduced as soon as a democrat lowers taxes.
dont give him false hope
I don't know how some of you become so miss-informed. The iphone is the first phone you HAD to have the data plan for, but it's not the first phone that could use the data plan. For YEARS before the iPhone came out it was still $35. It's not the "iphone" data plan, it's AT&T's standard data plan. Don't expect the price to drop any. The prices have come down over the years, expect this to be the standard for most services. The same as broadband use to be expensive, but they have pretty much found their niche in price range.